acting
“Non-binary actor EM Williams makes a mercurial Rosalind, capably running rings around everyone they encounter with quick wit and steely determination, but revealing plenty of warmth and vulnerability in private moments, giggling and sighing with overflowing emotion.”
“There was linking text by Michael Morpurgo, adopting the persona of a mildly cantankerous master of ceremonies. Some was delivered by him, some by the actor EM Williams, who also cavorted about the stage doing animal impressions and acted their socks off.”
“Williams is a gifted Shakespearean actor and in their hands, Shakespeare’s text become disarmingly everyday. The beauty and depth of famous lines is preserved so that they always hit their mark but the nuances of ordinary exchanges are embedded so well and so naturally that the play becomes impressively accessible. Williams also adds layers of meaning with their physicality as much as intonation – rarely do we see a performer who speaks their lines as much through their movement as through their words so well, and when it comes to staging a 1599 play for a 2022 audience, a performance like Williams’ is golden.”
“...many of the early scenes are stolen by the rescued Pine Marten (E M Williams) who without animal costumes grab our attention even when not centre stage and play pivotal roles … [they] are experienced physical comedy and circus performer and their experience shines through their performance.”